Systems and methods for intermediary pricing and retail sales of commodities

Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems and methods for improved commodity pricing and sales. An intermediary system may contract with a plurality of providers to provide a fungible commodity to consumers at a first predetermined price. The intermediary system may also contract with a plurality of consumers to provide the fungible commodity at a second predetermined price. The intermediary system may determine the second predetermined price responsive to a customer point balance, points earned by the consumer performing one or more actions, including social networking functions, grassroots advertising, or purchasing predetermined amounts with third-party affiliated retailers.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for using cash credits earned from consumer activity to pay for a purchase of a service of a service provider, the method comprising:
 (a) identifying, by a server acting as an intermediary between a plurality of consumers and one or more service providers, for an account of a consumer of the plurality of consumers maintained by the server, a points balance of the consumer, points of the point balance earned by the consumer by taking actions, external to and tracked by the server, not related to the one or more service providers;   (b) receiving, by the server, a request from the consumer to purchase, via the server, a service of a service provider of the one or more service providers for which the server acts as the intermediary to process payments from the plurality of consumers for purchases of one or more services of the one or more service providers;   (c) crediting, by the server, to the account of the consumer a cash value converted from points of the points balance, the cash value applicable as payment to the one or more service providers for the purchase of one or more services;   (d) providing, by the server responsive to the request to purchase the service, an indication of the cash value available to the consumer from the points balance for use as payment and a bill for a purchase price of the service; and   (e) applying, by the server responsive to the consumer selecting to pay the bill with at least a portion of the cash value from the points balance, the portion of the cash value towards payment of the bill for the purchase price of the service.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (a) further comprises
 receiving, by the server, actions taken by the consumer at one or more third party web-sites not related to the one or more service providers;   assigning, by the server, points to each of the actions; and   updating, by the server, the points balance of the consumer to include the assigned points.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving actions taken by the consumer include receiving actions taken by the consumer through one or more social network accounts of the consumer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving actions taken by the consumer include receiving identification of amounts of purchases made by the consumer at one or more third party web-sites not related to the one or more service providers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises
 identifying, by the server, a number of points in the points balance;   multiplying, by the server, the number of points by a points-to-cash conversion rate to generate the cash value;   adding, by the server, the cash value to the account of the consumer; and   removing, by the server, the points in the points balance used to generate the cash value.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (b) further comprises receiving, by the server, the request to purchase, the service capable of being provided by more than one service provider of the one or more service providers. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (d) further comprises:
 identifying, by the server, the service providers of the one or more service providers providing the service;   selecting, by the server, the service provider providing the service at a lowest price; and   providing, by the server, the bill corresponding to the selected service provider.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprises:
 identifying, by the server, a lowest price at which one of the one or more service providers is willing to provide the service; and   determining a purchase price of the service responsive to identifying the lowest price, the purchase price being greater than the lowest price by a predetermined amount.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein step (e) further comprises providing, by the server, an updated amount to be paid corresponding to a difference between an amount of the bill and the portion of the cash value applied towards the bill. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more service providers includes any of the following: a heating oil provider supplying heating oil, an electric utility provider supplying electricity, a water supplier supplying water, a telephone company providing telecommunications services, an internet service provider providing internet services, a television cable company providing television-related services and a health care provider providing health care services. 
     
     
         11 . A system for using cash credits earned from consumer activity to pay for a purchase of a service of a service provider, the system comprising:
 a server acting as an intermediary between a plurality of consumers and one or more service providers
 wherein the server is configured to identify for an account of a consumer of the plurality of consumers maintained by the account management module, a points balance of the consumer, points of the point balance earned by the consumer by taking actions, external to and tracked by the server, not related to the one or more service providers; 
 wherein the server is configured to receive, from the consumer, a request to purchase a service of a service provider of the one or more service providers for which the server acts as the intermediary to process payments from the plurality of consumers for purchases of one or more services of the one or more service providers; 
 wherein the server is configured to
 credit to the account of the consumer, a cash value converted from points of the points balance, the cash value applicable as payment to the one or more service providers for the purchase of one or more services, 
 provide an indication of the cash value available to the consumer from the points balance for use as payment and a bill for a purchase price of the service responsive to the request to purchase the service, and 
 apply, responsive to the consumer selecting to pay the bill with at least a portion of the cash value from the points balance, the portion of the cash value towards payment of the bill for the purchase price of the service. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 receive actions taken by the consumer at one or more third party web-sites not related to the one or more service providers;   assign points to each of the actions; and   update the points balance of the consumer to include the assigned points.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to receive actions taken by the consumer through one or more social network accounts of the consumer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to receive amounts of purchases made by the consumer at one or more third party web-sites not related to the one or more service providers. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 identify a number of points in the points balance;   multiply the number of points by a points-to-cash conversion rate to generate the cash value;   add the cash value to the account of the consumer; and   remove the points in the points balance used to generate the cash value.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to receive the request to purchase, the service capable of being provided by more than one service provider of the one or more service providers. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 identify the service providers of the one or more service providers providing the service;   select the service provider providing the service at a lowest price; and   provide the bill corresponding to the selected service provider.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is configured to:
 identify a lowest price at which one of the one or more service providers is willing to provide the service; and   determine a purchase price of the service responsive to identifying the lowest price, the purchase price being greater than the lowest price by a predetermined amount.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the server is further configured to provide an updated amount to be paid corresponding to a difference between an amount of the bill and the portion of the cash value applied towards the bill. 
     
     
         20 . A method for using cash credits earned from consumer activity to pay for a purchase of heating oil provided by a heating oil provider, the method comprising:
 (a) identifying, by a server acting as an intermediary between a plurality of consumers and one or more heating oil providers, for an account of a consumer of the plurality of consumers maintained by the server, a points balance of the consumer, points of the point balance earned by the consumer by taking actions at one or more third party web-sites not related to the one or more heating oil providers;   (b) receiving, by the server, a request from the consumer to purchase, via the server, heating oil from a heating oil provider of the one or more heating oil providers for which the server acts as the intermediary to process payments from the plurality of consumers for purchase of heating oil of the one or more heating oil providers;   (c) crediting, by the server, to the account of the consumer a cash value converted from points of the points balance, the cash value applicable as payment to the one or more heating oil providers for the purchase of heating oil;   (d) providing, by the server responsive to the request to purchase the heating oil, an indication of the cash value available to the consumer from the points balance for use as payment and a bill for a purchase price of the heating oil; and   (e) applying, by the server responsive to the consumer selecting to pay the bill with at least a portion of the cash value from the points balance, the portion of the cash value to payment of the bill for the purchase price of the heating oil.